The Columbia Heights Youth Club/Circle Of Hope, located in the basement of All Souls Unitarian Church at 16th and Harvard Sts. NW, received a generous donation of computers on April 29, 1999.

The computers were donated by the US Department of Agriculture. The initiator and director of the program is Ron Cooper of the Department of Agriculture. It is a new program and special in a number of ways.

Ron, a very non-bureaucratic sort of fellow, actually comes to the phone when you call him and couldn't be more helpful and friendly. He also can be reached by email.

He makes sure that all the computers are in working order before they are donated. The original software was on the machines received by the Columbia Heights Youth Club and included windows 3.1 and Word Perfect. The receiving organizations don't end up being trash removers by receiving non-functioning or cannibalized equipment. The donated computers were 486's and older pentiums.

The process to receive the computers is simple. Return the signed email (or snail mail I presume) sent to the potential recipient along with a couple of documents (outlined below) and go pick them up or arrange delivery. The documents they need can be sent by email, snail mail or fax. Schools and nonprofits are eligible.

If you pick them up yourself the USDA warehouse is located off Route 50 and 202 in Landover, Md. Show them your drivers license, sign a pick up form and they bring your computers on a pallete and you are on your way again in short order.

Kudos to Ron Cooper and the folks at USDA. If you need donated computers run to your nearest phone or computer and contact them. The necessary information is in their form below which they will send you with the details filled in.

From: Ron.Cooper@USDA.gov
To: mail@innercity.org
Cc: Ron.Cooper@USDA.gov
Subject: Computer Donation
Date:

To: Your organization
Address:
Name:
Title:
E-Mail:
Cc1:
Cc2:
Cc3: Ron.Cooper@USDA.gov
Tel:
Fax:

From: Department of Agriculture
Address: 1400 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC, 20250
Property Manager Name: Ronald Cooper
Tel: (301)436-4288
Fax: (301)436-4296
E-mail: Ron.Cooper@USDA.gov

Congratulations. As part of the Computers for Learning Program, you have been selected to receive the following donated federal computer equipment:

Equipment Type:
Quantity:
DETAIL

Equipment Type:
Quantity:
DETAIL

PC Keyboard:
PC Mouse:

IS EQUIPMENT WORKING CONDITION? YES
Notes on equipment condition:
Other Information, e.g., manuals, software, etc.:

TO ACCEPT THIS OFFER, PLEASE:

1) Print out this e-mail
2) Sign and date the Transfer Agreement at the bottom of this e-mail to accept title to the referenced computer equipment.
3) Obtain a letter, on your school or nonprofit letterhead, signed by your principal or director, authorizing you to accept this donation on behalf of your school or organization.
4) If you are an educational nonprofit you should obtain proof of your 501 status and your articles of incorporation.
5) Mail all these documents to the Agency representative whose name, Agency, and contact information appear at the top of this offer letter.

YOU MUST RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE WITHIN: 5 days. If you do not respond within that time, this offer will be void. Please contact the Agency representative and decline the offer if you do not want this equipment, so that it can be offered to another school or educational nonprofit.

HAVING YOUR EQUIPMENT DELIVERED

Should you accept this offer, you must arrange to have your equipment picked up at the following address and delivered to you:

CENTRALIZED EXCESS PROPERTY OPERATION (CEPO)3346 HUBBARD RD. LANDOVER MD.20785. IF YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION OR WANT TO ARRANGE FOR PICK UP OF THIS EQUIPMENT CONTACT RON COOPER OR EUGENE MAGRUDER AT 301- 436-4288.

A number of transportation systems and movers have formed the Computers for Learning Partnership to transport donated Federal computers free of charge from Federal agencies to classrooms. You can arrange for free shipping by contacting a member of the Computers for Learning Partnership at www.hhgfaa.org/partnership or by calling (888) 362-7870.

YOU MUST PICK UP OR ARRANGE FOR SHIPPING OF THE EQUIPMENT WITHIN 10 DAYS of transferring title of the equipment. If you do not provide shipping instruction or pick up the equipment within that time period, we will offer the equipment to another school or nonprofit educational organization.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET THE EQUIPMENT

Please visit the Computers for Learning website at www.computers.fed.gov/ for further information on upgrading your computer or contacting volunteers with technical computer kowledge.

If you have further questions about this offer, please contact the Agency representative whose name and contact information appear at the top of this offer letter.

------------------------------------------------------

TRANSFER OF TITLE

I acknowledge that the above items have been donated to my school or educational nonprofit by Department of Agriculture in accordance with Executive Order 12999.

In addition to this Transfer of Title authorization, I am submitting a letter on official school or nonprofit educational organization letterhead authorizing me to accept this donation on behalf of my organization.

I understand that if shipping instructions are not provided or the equipment is not picked up within 10 days of this transfer, title for the equipment will revert back to the agency and equipment may be donated to another school or nonprofit organization.

_____________________________
Signature of Recipient

__________________
Date